Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1887-01-14
OCR WASHINGTON LETTER.
Regular correspondent.

mains of Senator Logan were taken
thithcr to lie in state, and to-day the
| senator Chamber was the scene oi
his imposing ahscquies. Almost
everybody prominent in official and
social circles here was present, and Il
long procession of citizens, civic and
military organizations in charge OF
General Sheridan, followed the de-
ceased Senator to Rock Creek GENE
t"ry.
For twenty-four hours preceding the
iunera! the Senator's remains re-
posed on an historic bier in the ro-
tunda Of the Capitol and the public
passed through to view them. The
bier was the same on which rested the
bodies of President Lincoln, Chief
Justice Chase, President Garfield, and
Thaddeus Stevens.
There has been great deal of talk
among Illinois Congressman in regard
to the political effect of General Lo-
gan's death. Said Representative
Townsend, at will do more to throw
the State into the control of the De
mocracy than any other event can
conceive Of" The late Senator has
been able to hold its party together
with more success than any other
man in the State, by reason of his
popularity among the soldier clement
and with the masses of the people
Now that the Republicans are with
out strong leader in Illinois, the
Democrats have an excellent chance
of carrying the State at the next clcc-
ton. As to the Senator's successor i'll
the State, the two most prominent
aspirants are Gov. Oglesby and ex-
Congressman Farewell of Chicago.
1t is a singular coincidence that both
| of the candidates for Vice-President
in 1884 arc dead, and both candidates
for President are, at this moment,
suffering from the same malady.
Strangely enough too, in the cases OF
Messrs. Hendricks and Logan, the
pail of mourning fell upon holiday
festivities in their respective homes.
There is nothing in President Clcve-
lands condition to arouse any anxiety
on the part Of the public, but he is
suffering from another attack of rheu-
matism. One of his knees is again
painfully involved, and for the past
week, he has spent most of his time
between the bed and lounge. He has
been abstaining from all unnecessary
exertion in the hope of being able, by
such care, to be up and ready to see
the people on New Years Day.
The eyes of the whole country are
focused upon the action of Congress
on the Interstate Commerce bill
This bill presents square issue on
the millions of producers and con-
sumers on the one side and the
railroad cormOrants on the other
1t is not proposed in this bill to for
bid the railway companies from charg-
ing more per mile for short haul
than for long one. People expect to
buy at wholesale for less than at re-
tail. The long and short of the pro-
vision is just this. No railroad shall
charge more dollars for carrying n ton
of freight half the distance between
two points than it charged for carry
ing the same ton of freight the whole
distance. AS much as $500 a car load
has been charged for freight to Ne
vada from the East, when the freight
on the same through to Sacramento
from the same point East was only
5000.
Whether the opposition of the rail-
roads to the Interstate Commerce bill
has anything to do with the opposition
of Senators to the Railroad Attorney
bill, is one of the latest conundrums
at the Capitol.
1t is easy enough to understand
why a member of Congress who is in
receipt of handsome retaining fees
from a subsidized railroad company
should be opposed to the Beck bill
for, in case of its passage, he would be
compelled to resign his seat and re-
tire from legislative life, or else termi-
nate his professional engagements
with the corporations. The mere fact
that Senator or Representative is
working to defeat this proposed legis-
lation, creates a warrantable suspicion
that if he is not already in the service
of the roads, he expects to be, or is at
least open te solicitation. Senator
Beck is trying to render such scanda.
lous imputations upon the good name
of the Senate impossible and to facili-
tate the progress of wholesome legis-
lation.
There hiss been a good deal of ex-
| ira session talk in connection with
the Treasury surplus problem. Many
public men believe, unless it can be
satisfactorily solved during this session.
that the President will call the Fiftieth
Congress in extra session early after
the fourth of March, to perform
the task OF relieving the Treasury OI